How to properly list a car for sale online. (Photos and details)
Want to sell your car faster? How about get the most $ for it? Here’s my advice after photographing, listing, writing descriptions and selling cars online for my entire life. I’ve seen the best and I’ve seen the worst. Here’s my basic advice on how to properly list your car for sale.
My name is Spencer Berke and I’ve been an automotive photographer and content creator for over 15 years. I’ve worked for Lamborghini San Diego, Newport Beach and McLaren as an inventory photographer, along with multiple other dealerships while running my own social media marketing agency. Here’s a quick tip on how to sell your car faster.
– Clean the car
First thing you’re going to want to do is get your car clean (Obviously, right?), well, I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen nasty cars being listed with water bottles on the passenger floor, coffee in the cup holders, dirty wheels, etc. Sure, you’re a busy person, but if you want to sell your car the right way, make sure you clean the car – even if that means going to a quick car wash down the street and getting a fast vacuum. Doing this will go a long way.
– Find a good location for photos
If you’re selling a luxury car, I’d recommend finding a nice home or a beach backdrop. Something that represents that lifestyle that the car offers. If you’re shooting something like a high volume car such as a Honda or Toyota, pull the car out into your driveway, or find a park down the street that has a simple backdrop. You don’t want to have anything distracting.
A basic photo to help sell the car. Both photos are fine, but basic photos help the buyer understand what they’re looking at. There’s no distraction, it’s straight forward. Both work fine, but basic photos will keep things easier for everybody.
– The details
When listing your car, make sure you give all the details to the potential buyer. The reason being is that you don’t want any friction between the buyer and seller. The best thing to do is give as much as you can to help a buyer make a decision. The details should include the following…
– Year
– Make
– Model
– Submodel
– Clean or salvage title
– Transmission (Auto or Manual)
– Exterior color
– Interior color
– Location
– Asking price
– Maintenance (List all the maintenance that was recently done)
– Modifications (List all the modifications that are on the car)
– Extra (If you will include any stock parts to the car, problems like leaks, smells, stains, smoked in or not, how many keys are included, if you can ship the car or not, if you’re looking for trades or for cash, etc).
– Photo checklist
When you’re taking photos of the car, here’s a check list to base your listing off of.
– Exterior photos
Driver side front quarter shot
Driver side side profile shot
Driver side rear quarter shot
Front end shot straight on
Rear end shot straight on
Passenger side rear quarter shot
Passenger side profile shot
Passenger front quarter shot
– Interior Photos
Driver side facing steering wheel/dash door open
Driver side facing seats door open
Gauge cluster up close (Reset trip miles and make sure no lights are on dash)
Radio area (Navigation, radio, AC controls)
Transmission shifter area/center console
Sunroof or roofliner
Rear seats
Passenger side facing dash board
Passenger side facing seats
– Extra
Engine bay
Trunk
Books, keys, manuals, maintenance records
Shot of CarFax/AutoCheck if possible
VIN number on inside of driver side door or under hood
Paint code (usually under the hood on the inside, just open the hood and look up)
– Contact info!!!!
Don’t forget, you need to add an email to your listing. If you post on Craigslist, you’re going to only get a default email that is 30+ characters long. If you post on Instagram, maybe some people don’t have Instagram or they don’t have a Facebook account to message you. Please do not forget to include any kind of contact information.
– Your name
– Phone number (State if you’d rather have a call or text)
Here’s what a fully photographed car would look like for your listing.
